Articulatable joint with multi-faceted ball and socket

Abstract

An articulatable joint which is embodied within a coupling useful for transferring eccentric rotational energy and motion into concentric rotational energy and motion. The coupling is incorporated into a downhole drill string and applied to connect a motor section to a drill bit shaft within a drill string. The coupling comprises generally a housing section and two associated end sections which each feature a proximate base portion, adapted to permit the end sections to be connected within the housing, an intermediate neck, and a generally rounded head extending in a distal relation to the base and neck. Each head presents a thrust bearing face and a number of longitudinally arcuate contact faces. The housing section contains recesses adapted to receive and partially enclose the heads of the end sections in a generally complimentary manner. When inserted into their respective recesses, the end sections are afforded limited angular translation along angles departing from the axial centerline of the housing section while rotation of the head portion within the recess is limited by contact between the contact faces of the head portion and complimentary contact areas within the recess.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An articulable joint adapted to transmit rotational motion, said joint comprising: a. a first section having a distal end and a proximate base end;   b. a generally spherical head at the distal end of said first section, said head having a distal end and a base end and comprising: 1) a thrust bearing face at the distal end of said head adapted to adjoin and contact a thrust bearing load area which is generally complimentary to the thrust bearing face;   2) a longitudinally arcuate contact face which extends generally from a point near the thrust bearing face proximately back toward the base end, said contact face being shaped to contact and adjoin a radial contact area which is generally complimentary to the longitudinally arcuate contact face;     c. a second section adapted to be axially interconnected to the head of said first section, said second section forming a generally cylindrical housing having two ends;   d. a recess within one end of the second section adapted to receive said head in a generally complimentary fashion, said recess comprising: 1) the thrust beating load area shaped to contact and adjoin in a complimentary manner the thrust bearing face of the inserted head;   2) an internal radial wall presenting the radial contact area shaped to adjoin in a generally complimentary manner the longitudinally arcuate contact face of the inserted head.     
     
     
       2. The joint of claim 1 wherein the first section further comprises a neck connecting the head to the base portion, the neck being smaller in radial circumference than the head. 
     
     
       3. The joint of claim 2 further comprising a securing mechanism which interconnects with portions of the second section and maintains said head in an inserted position within said recess. 
     
     
       4. The joint of claim 3 wherein the securing mechanism is annularly shaped and sized to surround the neck of the first section. 
     
     
       5. The joint of claim 1 wherein the head presents multiple contact faces which circumferentially surround the head and adjoin each other along the circumference of the head. 
     
     
       6. The joint of claim 1 further comprising a connector near the base portion of the first section suitable for fixedly connecting the first section to an adjoining body. 
     
     
       7. A joint assembly interconnectable between a means for generating rotating and gyrating motion and a rotatable assembly, said joint assembly operable to transmit eccentric rotation into concentric rotation and comprising: a. a pair of end sections, said end sections each having a distal end and proximate base end;   b. a generally spherical head at the distal end of each said end section, said head having a distal end and a base end and comprising: 1) a thrust bearing face at the distal end of said head adapted to adjoin and contact a thrust bearing load area which is generally complimentary to the thrust bearing face;   2) a longitudinally arcuate contact face which extends generally from a point near the thrust bearing face proximately back toward the base end;     c. a generally cylindrical housing section adapted to axially interconnect to the heads of said end sections, said housing section having two ends;   d. a recess within each end of the housing section, each said recess adapted to receive a head in a generally complimentary fashion, each said recess comprising: 1) the thrust bearing load area shaped to contact and adjoin in a complimentary manner the thrust bearing face of the inserted head;   2) an internal radial wall presenting an axial contact area shaped to adjoin in a complimentary manner the longitudinally arcuate contact face of the inserted head.     
     
     
       8. The joint assembly of claim 7 wherein each said end section further comprises a neck connecting the head to the base portion, the neck being smaller in radial circumference than the head. 
     
     
       9. The joint assembly of claim 8 further comprising a securing mechanism which interconnects with portions of the housing and maintains said head in an inserted position within said recess. 
     
     
       10. The joint assembly of claim 9 wherein the securing mechanism is annularly shaped and sized to surround the neck of an end section. 
     
     
       11. The joint assembly of claim 7 wherein each of said heads further comprise multiple contact faces which circumferentially surround the head and adjoin each other along the circumference of the head. 
     
     
       12. The joint assembly of claim 7 wherein the base portion of an end section includes a connector suitable for fixedly connecting the end section to an adjoining body. 
     
     
       13. A coupling for use in a subterranean drilling assembly operable to connect a motor assembly to a bit bearing assembly and transmit rotational motion therebetween, said coupling comprising: a. a pair of end sections, said end sections each having a distal end and proximate base end;   b. a generally spherical head at the distal end of each said end section, said head having a distal end and a base end and comprising: 1) a thrust bearing face at the distal end of said head adapted to adjoin and contact a thrust bearing load area which is generally complimentary to the thrust bearing face;   2) a longitudinally arcuate contact face which extends generally from a point near the thrust bearing face proximately back toward the base end;     c. a generally cylindrical housing section adapted to axially interconnect to the heads of said end sections, said housing section having two ends;   d. a recess within each end of the housing section, each said recess adapted to receive a head in a generally complimentary fashion, each said recess comprising: 1) the thrust bearing load area shaped to contact and adjoin in a complimentary manner the thrust bearing face of the inserted head;   2) an internal radial wall presenting an axial contact area shaped to contact and adjoin in a complimentary manner the longitudinally arcuate contact face of the inserted head.     
     
     
       14. The coupling of claim 13 wherein each said end section further comprises a neck connecting the head to the base portion, the neck being smaller in radial circumference than the head. 
     
     
       15. The coupling of claim 14 further comprising a securing mechanism which interconnects with portions of the housing and maintains said head in an inserted position within said recess. 
     
     
       16. The coupling of claim 15 wherein the securing mechanism is annularly shaped and sized to surround the neck portion of an end section. 
     
     
       17. The coupling of claim 13 wherein each of said heads present multiple contact faces which circumferentially surround the head and adjoin each other along the circumference of the head. 
     
     
       18. The coupling of claim 13 wherein the base portion of an end section includes a connector suitable for fixedly connecting the end section to an adjoining body. 
     
     
       19. The coupling of claim 13 further comprising an outer annular seal radially surrounding portions of the housing section and an end section. 
     
     
       20. The coupling of claim 19 further comprising a ported conduit within the housing which permits fluid communication between one or more of said recesses and an area radially surrounding the housing.